Berkeley cracks down on notorious drug and crime house

Last night, a West Berkeley home that has been the nexus for serious crime and drug dealing for 30 years was declared a public nuisance by the City Council.

The household at 1722 Ninth Street, owned by 77-year old Roberto Alcala, many of whose extended family live there with him, was described by local residents as “the neighbors from hell.”

The Council’s decision follows a recommendation made in February by the city’s Zoning Adjustments Board not only to slap the home with a public nuisance order, but also to evict its inhabitants. The council chose not to have the house vacated, but instead imposed 11 conditions on the property owner in order to “abate the nuisance activity,” all of which need to be met within one month. These include eradicating illegal substances and unregistered guns from the property, eliminating excessive noise and applying for the permits necessary to demolish an illegal kitchen addition. (Read the full recommendation.)

Fifteen people with Alameda County criminal records have used the house as their address of record, and some are associated with the city’s notorious Westside gang, Berkeley Police Department reported at the February ZAB meeting. There was a tacit acknowledgement last night that the situation had been allowed to fester for too long. “The City of Berkeley has been the codependent partner for 30 years. It’s time to end the relationship,” said one neighbor in the public comment at the council meeting last night.